Product Description

Britain's foremost authority on organic gardens tells you all you need to know to create your own paradise of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #890929 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

From Library Journal
Author and BBC organic gardening expert Flowerdew's book, beautifully illustrated with color photographs, introduces organic gardening principles, techniques, and pest controls. He also demonstrates how to grow flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruit organically. The fruit and vegetable sections include specific cultural information and recommended cultivars, while less information is available on flowers, shrubs, and herbs. Because of its British slant and the relatively brief cultural information included, North American gardeners may prefer books from Rodale's "Successful Organic Gardening" series, which cover everything from perennials to herbs to vegetables in separate volumes. Beginners will also find Maria Rodale's Organic Gardening (Rodale, 1998) or Karan Davis Cutler's Burpee: The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener (IDG, 1998) good introductions to the organic method. Shapiro, agricultural director of Seeds of Change (an organic seed company), and Harrisson, a freelance writer, introduce a selection of ecologically sensitive methods of farming applicable to home gardeners. Biointensive, kinship, biodynamic, and permaculture gardening systems are profiled. The authors also include suggestions on how to conserve soil and water and stress the need to preserve genetic diversity through growing plants and saving their seeds or plant breeding, offering techniques for both. There is also an interesting discussion of the problems created by current chemical-based farming practices and the techniques that can be used to alleviate these problems. Recommended for those interested in alternative organic farming and gardening practices.ASue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Flowerdew... covers all aspects of planning and gives advice on how to make the most of even the smallest garden."

From the Publisher
Flowerdew begins his latest book with an explanation of what organic gardening is all about and how it benefits us, wildlife, and the environment. He provides detailed instructions on organically growing a variety of flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, shrubs, trees, and grass. He gives advice on harvesting, storing, and cooking fruits and vegetables, and on how to control pests, diseases, and weeds organically. The book is filled with lists, including Flowerdew's favorite flowers, trees, shrubs, and pond plants. This useful guide to organic gardening also contains a season-by- season calendar of the most essential tasks and 175 gorgeous color photos taken in the author's own garden.